Artists have always been interested in recording nature. I, too, find environmental events and our human interaction with nature significant to my work.For several years in works on paper, mixed media paintings, and installations I have used the materials and tools of natural and urban environments – dangerous plants, soils, water,wallpapers, oilcloths, paint, tattoos, hands, sticks, and horses – to trace this intertwining of nature and human history.

In 2007 I lived for a few months on the coast of California. On daily bike rides and walks I recorded in drawings and photographs the shifting fog, changing ocean colors, unexpected sightings of birds, animals and manmade objects.This process evolved into working in the waters of the Pacific, and later the Atlantic, letting the waves themselves document a specific moment and location. Drought, heavy rains, and floods, extreme conditions around the country launched me into the River Project which began in four North Carolina rivers in 2009. The river drawings trace each river’s movement, document human interactions at specific sites, and explore the relationship between beauty and danger.